North America’s best represented on Cape Sale

North America’s best represented on Cape Sale
Speightstown, Tapit, Giant’s Causeway and Distorted Humor –four of North America’s very best stallions. Remarkably, all four have offspring on sale at the 2014 Cape Premier Yearling Sale (Book 1)!
Between these four stallions, they have sired 347 stakes winners – and a staggering 70 Grade One/Group One winners!

In 2013, Speightstown and Giant’s Causeway finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively, on the North American General Sires list. Giant’s Causeway has been Champion Sire three times in the USA, while Distorted Humor, whose sons have won all three legs of the North American Triple Crown, was Champion Sire in North America in 2011.

Speightstown (Gone West – Silken Cat) had a magnificent season in 2013. The former Champion Sprinter was represented by a staggering 36 individual stakes winners, and his runners earned over $11 000 000 in North America. Speightstown, who is an extremely versatile stallion, was also responsible for Gr1 Dubai Golden Shaheen winner Reynaldothewizard. To date, Speightstown’s offspring include 10 Grade One winners, and they have earned in excess of $44 000 000.

Speightstown has one lot on offer at the 2014 Cape Premier Yearling Sale:

Lot 178 is a half-brother to three winners overseas. The colt, who is inbred both to the mighty Storm Cat and legendary broodmare Myrtlewood, is out of a Storm Cat half-sister to two Graded Stakes winners, and this blue blooded family includes US Turf Champion (and Breeders Cup Turf winner), Chief Bearhart. This is also the family of two of the world’s greatest sires – Mr Prospector and Seattle Slew. A true blue blood!

While not a Champion Sire yet, Tapit (Pulpit – Tap Your Heels) is an exceptionally popular young sire, whose yearlings grossed over $19,500,000 in 2013. Tapit’s yearling average last year was a staggering $404, 800. His first six crops, to date, have produced over 40 stakes winners – including 12 Grade One winners. Tapit’s progeny have done particularly well in the Breeders Cup races – his runners having captured four Breeders Cup races to date.
A horse whose stud fee has risen to $150 000, Tapit is currently the joint top priced sire in North America.

He has proven popular at past Premier Yearling Sales. A filly by the sire fetched R1 150 000 at the 2012 sale.

Tapit has one lot on sale at the sale:

Lot 97 is a colt bred to be very quick. His dam is by champion US sprinter Orientate (himself a son of another top sprinter, Mt Livermore) and second dam is the champion sprinting filly, Harry’s Charm. This is the family Enchanting family, whose members also include ill-fated champion, National Currency.

Distorted Humor is widely regarded as one of the best stallions to have stood in North America in the past 50 years. A testimony to the quality of horse he produces, Distorted Humor (Forty Niner – Danzig’s Beauty) began his stud career for a fee of $12,500 and is currently standing at a fee of $100 000 (it did reach as high as $300 000). His best sons include Kentucky Derby champion Funny Cide, Belmont Stakes/Breeders Cup Classic winner Drosselmeyer, and Travers Stakes hero Flower Alley (sire of Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another).

Distorted Humor has three beautifully bred yearlings on offer at the sale:

Lot 73 is a filly who is bred on the same Distorted Humor/Sadler’s Wells cross as G1 winners Pathfork and Aesop’s Fables. Her dam is a full sister to Irish Oaks winner Ebadiyla, and a half-sister to three other G1 winners – including the Queen’s star mare, Estimate. The latter made history when becoming the first Gold Cup winner ever owned by a ruling monarch when triumphing in the 2013 Ascot Gold Cup.

Lot 144 is a half-brother to a stakes placed filly in the US. More importantly, however, this choicely bred colt is out of an A.P. Indy half-sister to Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos. This is the great Darby Dan family of such stars as Brian’s Time, Sunshine Forever and world leading sire, Dynaformer. This colt is bred on the very potent Distorted Humor/Seattle Slew cross – which has produced such stars as Funny Cide (Kentucky Derby) and Any Given Saturday (Haskell Invitational).

Lot 184 is a filly with a truly world class pedigree. Not only is she by a great sire, but her dam (by A P Indy) is a half-sister to three stakes horses – one of whom being Love Me True (dam of G1 Investec Derby winner Ruler Of The World and five time G1 winner Duke Of Marmalade). This filly’s dam has an interesting pedigree in that not only is she by A P Indy – but her second dam is a half-sister to Weekend Surprise (dam of A P Indy)! Other stars hailing from this wonderful family include leading sires Summer Squall and Honor Grades, champion Lemon Drop Kid and Breeders Cup Mile hero Court Vision.

Triple Champion Sire, Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat – Mariah’s Storm), is no stranger to the South African racing public – as his son, Our Giant, won 12 races locally including the Gr1 Mercury Sprint. Widely regarded as the greatest son of legendary sire Storm Cat, Giant’s Causeway’s offspring include no fewer than
His offspring have won top level races all around the world, and number Gr1 winners in Britain, France, USA, South Africa, Australia, Germany, and Japan. The stallion is as versatile as he is brilliant with offspring including top juvenile First Samurai and Ascot Gold Cup winner, alike.
Giant’s Causeway, third on the US general sires list in 2013, was represented by 26 stakes winners during 2013.

He has one lot on sale:

Lot 53 is a colt out of former record breaking champion, Captain’s Lover. By leading sire Captain Al, Captain’s Lover made history when becoming the first South African bred to win a Group race in France (she won the Prix du Pin). Winner of the Gr1 Cape Fillies Guineas, Captain’s Lover, in turn, is a half-sister to another Cape Fillies Guineas heroine Ebony Flyer.
Second dam, Sunshine Lover, was South Africa’s Broodmare Of The Year in 2010-2011.